Police now ready to make arrests in the Algarve in missing Madeleine McCann case

DETECTIVES hunting the ­kidnapper of Madeleine McCann are poised to make arrests.

Madeleine McCann vanished aged three and police are hunting for the person who abducted her [PA]

The breakthrough comes after they identified new ­incidents where British girls were targeted by a lone ­paedophile in Portugal.

In nine cases in the Algarve girls were sexually assaulted, it has been revealed. Now an elite unit of Scotland Yard officers is ready to fly out to support wide-ranging operations by the Portuguese police.

Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry, who are convinced their little girl will be found alive, welcomed the news yesterday.

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Whatever needs to be done on the ground in Portugal needs to be done as effectively and swiftly as ­possible.”

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner ­Martin Hewitt confirmed the authorities in Lisbon have responded positively to a series of “international letters of request” from the Yard.

He said: “In the relatively near future, we will start to see activity on behalf of the Portuguese with us involved as potential suspects in connection with 18 incidents.

They need to be traced, interviewed and eliminated so inquiries can focus on the most likely offenders.

Madeleine was taken from her bedroom in this apartment complex in Praia da Luz, Portugal [TIM CLARKE]

Whatever needs to be done on the ground in Portugal needs to be done as effectively and swiftly as ­possible

Clarence Mitchell, family spokesman

It is understood Portuguese police have DNA from at least one incident.

The speeding up of the investigation comes less than two weeks before the seventh anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance from the McCann ­holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007 when she was three.

A source close to Kate and Gerry McCann, both 45 from Rothley, Leics, said Met officers hoped to be “on the ground in Portugal” for the first time since the squad was formed “within a fortnight”.He said: “It appears the Yard have X, Y and Z they want to interview out there but they won’t have the power to do it themselves.

“Any arrests and formal interviews will be conducted by the Portuguese police with Met officers sitting in.”

The Yard squad first identified a prolific paedophile as a potential ­suspect last month after a major appeal through newspapers and BBC’s Crimewatch.

At the time, 12 incidents on the Algarve were connected to him, two in Praia da Luz.

The new cases have been added since the appeal, which prompted more than 500 calls and emails.

In particular police heard from a 19-year-old who was sexually assaulted by a lone intruder at a holiday home in the “heart of Praia da Luz” in 2005 when she was 10. It is thought she may have only recently told anyone about her ordeal.

Yard detectives are focusing on 12 of the incidents – nine sex assaults and three “near misses”. The other six incidents happened further away or years after Madeleine was snatched.

All the victims were white, British, aged between six and 12 and were attacked between 2004 and 2006. The paedophile – described as smelly and pot-bellied – crept into their ­bedrooms without forcing entry.

He spoke ­English with a foreign accent, was tanned, with short, dark, unkempt hair, and reeked of tobacco, stale aftershave or alcohol.

During two incidents, he wore a ­burgundy long-sleeved top. One ­witness said it had a white circle on the back. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, head of Operation Grange, said several features of the description, the type of offences and the way they were committed point to a lone offender.

Scotland Yard is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the abduction of Madeleine McCann.

If you have information call the Operation Grange incident room on 020 7321 9251. Or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Comments Unavailable

Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article
at the moment. However, you will find some great articles
which you can comment on right now in our
Comment section.